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Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

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Re: Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

#21

Post by apwheele »

Just as an alt perspective, gained quite a bit of weight in mid 20's-30's. I tried various things -- I did Judo in college before gained weight, but doing BJJ after I gained weight I could never keep up even though I loved it. Did the gym, tried running, etc. I hated it, and especially as I got older they all had noticeable impacts on my body.

The only thing that significantly impacted my weight over the years was a more restricted diet. Currently I do not eat food after 6 pm, and have almost cut 100% of fast food out of diet. (At worst BMI 34, now BMI 25.)

So I loved BJJ (did not hate it the same way I hated the gym), but I physically had a hard time with it post 30 years old. Caveat emptor, I should probably not be giving anyone health advice.

Re: Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

#22

Post by bob1029 »

If you are mostly concerned with staying healthy and really really hate the gym, then I'd recommend focusing on your dietary habits instead.

In my experience, working off bad calories is a lot harder than simply not consuming them in the first place.

Also, certain meal patterns like one-meal-a-day and intermittent fasting (i.e. eat every other day) can provoke exercise-like effects in participants.

Which do you hate more - not having that 2nd cookie, or driving to the gym?

I'd still recommend getting off your ass as much as possible in any arrangement. Standing desk and what not.

Re: Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

#25

Post by shaftoe444 »

Strong recommend for the Dan John book Intervention [0]. An easy read and you should be able to grok the principles and apply them to kettlebells, bodyweight, barbell, whatever you choose.

I followed it for a while with just dumbbells and bodyweight and later on joined a much more intense olympic weightlifting gym and found I had pretty good movement and strength compared to most people who just walk in off the street (or maybe the coach was just being nice!).

[0] https://www.otpbooks.com/product/dan-john-intervention/

Re: Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

#26

Post by cosmodisk »

apwheele wrote: post #21

Just as an alt perspective, gained quite a bit of weight in mid 20's-30's. I tried various things -- I did Judo in college before gained weight, but doing BJJ after I gained weight I could never keep up even though I loved it. Did the gym, tried running, etc. I hated it, and especially as I got older they all had noticeable impacts on my body. The only thing that significantly impacted my weight over the years was a…

Well, you are right. My BMI is off the charts,but not because I don't go to the gym,but because I overeat in the evening. There's no exercise on the planet that can offset multiple trips to the fridge before you go to bed. And the reason why people overeat is different for everyone: lack of sleep, stress, anxiety, boredom, poor nutritional choices and so on. So it's crucial people fix this part if they really want to change how they look and feel about their body, because otherwise you sign up to the gym and quit 3 months later, because there's no progress at all.

Re: Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

#27

Post by shaftoe444 »

lofaszvanitt wrote: post #18

Just watch the documentary Pumping iron. And do exactly what Arnold says. While in the shower, shout like a gorilla, the higher your arms are, the higher the pitch should be.

Prefer the Ronnie Coleman school of just shouting "lightweights baby" before, during, and after each set.

Re: Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

#28

Post by rewsiffer »

I am in a similar (age, mobility) situation and I got into indoor rock climbing about a year ago. Since then I have lost weight and gained a ton of muscle. I go around twice a week.

I always hated going to the gym because it was boring, but rock climbing is fun and challenging, like solving a puzzle. Also, I find I work a bit harder because it triggers your animal instincts of not wanting to fall. I do mostly top rope climbing(bouldering scares me). If you have a rock gym nearby, setup one or two trial sessions and see if you like it.

Re: Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

#29

Post by js8 »

I had a friend who I used to go jogging with, he also hated the gym. We had a circuit in a nearby forest (park), and he always found a suitable branch along the way to do pullups, or we did pushups, or belly lifts from hanging down, and stuff like that. Some parks even have benches or exercise bars which you can use. You can do a lot completely for free, and it's more pleasant environment too.
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